Trump floats US takeover of Ukrainian nuclear plants, as Putin resists ceasefire
US president holds call with Ukraine’s Zelensky about truce with Russia, calling conversation ‘fantastic’; Kremlin says US must cease military aid to Ukraine for any full ceasefire
AFP — US President Donald Trump has told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the United States could own and run Ukraine’s nuclear power plants as part of his latest bid to secure a ceasefire in Russia’s invasion of its neighbor.
The offer comes as some 30 military chiefs from countries keen to help protect an eventual ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine prepared for talks in Britain on Thursday to discuss plans for a peacekeeping force.
EU leaders were also set to discuss the three-year war at a summit in Brussels on Thursday, as well as the bloc’s defense capabilities as it grapples with an aggressive Russia.
Following the Wednesday call with Trump, Ukrainian President Zelensky said that Kyiv was “ready” to pause attacks on Russia’s energy network and infrastructure, a day after Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed to halt similar strikes on Ukraine.
Zelensky also said he had discussed Trump’s power plant takeover plan. US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in a joint statement that Trump had discussed “American ownership” of power plants, and praised the idea.
Zelensky, who was on an official visit to Finland, clarified that he and Trump “talked only about one power plant, which is under Russian occupation,” referring to the plant in Zaporizhzhia.
He added that he had “not felt any pressure” from Trump to make concessions to Russia.
But a wider ceasefire remains elusive with the Kremlin leader insisting in his own call with Trump on Tuesday that the West first stop all military aid for Ukraine.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and France’s President Emmanuel Macron have said they are willing to put British and French troops on the ground in Ukraine.
The UK government says a “significant number” of nations are prepared to do the same, but it is not clear exactly how many countries are keen.
Trump’s tone on Wednesday was markedly more positive after the Zelensky call, with the White House describing it as “fantastic” — despite the fact that the two men had a blazing televised row in the Oval Office in late February.
The Ukrainian leader, who looked tired as he spoke to reporters, described his phone call with Trump as “probably his most substantive and positive” talks yet and added that he had not felt under pressure.
Asked at the briefing if he still wanted Trump to visit Ukraine, Zelensky said that he did and that he believed it would be helpful for the US president in his efforts to halt the war.
‘Ending the war’
Trump also pledged to help Kyiv get more air defense equipment from Europe, the statement said.
It also reported that Trump pledged to find Ukrainian children “abducted” by Russia. The White House this week ended funding for a project to track the tens of thousands of children taken by Russian forces amid the invasion.
The US president earlier said on his Truth Social network that efforts to reach a full truce were “very much on track.”
Zelensky said Ukrainian and US officials could meet in coming days for fresh talks in Saudi Arabia, where Russian and American teams are also due to meet early next week.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged 372 prisoners, Moscow said Wednesday, which was planned as a goodwill gesture following the Trump-Putin call.
Kyiv and Moscow however have accused each other of continuing attacks.
Russia said it destroyed 132 Ukrainian drones in overnight attacks in several regions throughout the country.
Ukrainian emergency services said on Thursday that an overnight Russian drone attack struck residential buildings in Kropyvnytsky in central Ukraine wounding eight people, including a child.
‘Don’t believe Putin’
The major sticking point remains Putin’s resistance to a full ceasefire — something that Kyiv and some Western allies say underscores how the Russian leader cannot be trusted.
Putin insisted during his call with Trump on Tuesday that a full ceasefire was only possible if the West agreed to Moscow’s long-standing demand to halt its billions of dollars in military aid for Ukraine.
The Kremlin chief also demanded Ukraine must not be allowed to re-arm and must halt mandatory mobilization.
Moscow and Washington were even at odds on the results of the call.
The Kremlin said they only discussed halting power plant attacks, but the White House insisted the talks covered both energy and other civilian infrastructure.
Trump’s overtures to Putin, and indications Washington will no longer guarantee European security, have also spooked Kyiv and the United States’s NATO allies.
“I don’t believe Putin at all, not a single word. He only understands force,” said Kyiv resident Lev Sholoudko, 32.
In Moscow, locals were more optimistic the talks could bring an end to the fighting — to Russia’s advantage.
“Definitely this is in our favor,” said Moscow resident Larisa, 46.
“There is no other way. What happened in 1945 will happen now,” she added, referring to the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.
Ukraine’s red line
Zelensky rejected Putin’s key condition that Western allies stop providing military aid and intelligence to Ukraine. He said doing so would endanger lives if citizens were blind to incoming air raids and lead to the continuation of the war.
“I don’t think anybody should make any concessions in terms of helping Ukraine, but rather, assistance to Ukraine should be increased,” Zelensky said. “This will be a signal that Ukraine is ready for any surprises from the Russians.”
Zelensky said one of the most difficult issues in future negotiations would be the issue of territorial concessions.
“For us, the red line is the recognition of the Ukrainian temporarily occupied territories as Russian,” he said. “We will not go for it.”
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
